Google has announced several new mobile search formats that combine search and apps with mobile advertising.

The first of the new formats is aimed at mobile apps that allow users to search for information within them. Custom Search Ads essentially provides users with relevant answers when people perform searches within apps.

The technology should help app developers make more money to fund their apps and grow their business, according to a blog post by Google mobile ads senior product manager, Surojit Chatterjee.

The next new mobile search ad initiative is Click to Download, which provides users with information and links to the relevant app store when they search for apps. Google has recently allowed app developers to include app icons in their ad unit, providing users with the opportunity to download them direct from a search.

Mobile App Extensions – currently in beta – allow organisations to use mobile search ads to direct people to a page within an app already installed on their devices. For example, if they search for shoes, the technology can direct them to a relevant shopping app on their phone.